Tracking Minnesota Politics Since 2005
Minnesota Independent and The UpTake have done some great work covering Todd Palin’s visit and Norm Coleman’s “Hope” Express, including the piece “First Dude and absent Sarah upstage Norm at Duluth Sportsmen for Coleman rally.”
I cannot believe they allow such disgusting signage not only at the rally, but at the front of the rally. I’m sure Mr. Positive Norm Coleman is proud.
Before the speakers hit the stage, a crowd of pro-Obama supporters began a protest rally in the Gander Mountain parking lot, but were asked to leave by Hermantown police.
Police Chief Mike Anderson said the group was first asked to leave by Gander Mountain officials, but the group refused. After the police asked them to leave the protesters went up to the entry way of the store.
Obama supporter Mary Anderson said they were initially asked to leave by someone wearing a Coleman shirt.
“He said someone from the store told us to leave,” she said.
Chris Hill, who was supporting Obama for the Carpenter’s union, said he felt Gander Mountain was wrong to ask the group to leave.
“[The Palin rally] was a public rally and the public was invited,” he said. “We were doing a peaceful protest.”
Patrick Radzak was with a group of Teamsters for Obama, which were holding black and yellow signs.
“A Coleman supporter said your signs are the wrong color and so is your candidate,” he said. “I told him that’s why we’re here.”
I have no further comment.
But, Schoenke’s presence won’t be the one Republicans will worry about, nope, Hillary Clinton’s will be.
Hillary’s coming to the Range on Tuesday!
And just as a reminder of what Hil can do, here’s her convention speech from Denver.
In other worthwhile ACORN news, here’s a video of John McCain sorrounded by ACORN activists at a immigration rally in Miami in 2006.
(Obama/Keys picture via that paragon of verisimilitude, Michael Brodkorb.)
Our survey is not, by any means, a scientific poll of all economists. We e-mailed a questionnaire to 683 research associates, all we could track down, of the National Bureau of Economic Research, America’s premier association of applied academic economists, though the NBER itself played no role in the survey. A total of 142 responded, of whom 46% identified themselves as Democrats, 10% as Republicans and 44% as neither. This skewed party breakdown may reflect academia’s Democratic tilt, or possibly Democrats’ greater propensity to respond. Still, even if we exclude respondents with a party identification, Mr Obama retains a strong edge—though the McCain campaign should be buoyed by the fact that 530 economists have signed a statement endorsing his plans.
…
The detailed responses are bad news for Mr McCain (the full data are available here). Eighty per cent of respondents and no fewer than 71% of those who do not cleave to either main party say Mr Obama has a better grasp of economics. Even among Republicans Mr Obama has the edge: 46% versus 23% say Mr Obama has the better grasp of the subject. “I take McCain’s word on this one,” comments James Harrigan at the University of Virginia, a reference to Mr McCain’s infamous confession that he does not know as much about economics as he should. In fairness, Mr McCain’s lower grade may in part reflect greater candour about his weaknesses. Mr Obama’s more tightly managed image leaves fewer opportunities for such unvarnished introspection.
On Friday, though, McCain realized it probably wasn’t in his interest to let Obama have the stage to himself, so he announced that he was going to debate after all, since the stalled negotiations were now on track, although in fact the on-track negotiations were now stalled, but whatever. By the time he left Washington — some Democrats suggested this was no coincidence — the negotiations seemed to un-stall. The bailout now appears to be back on track for next week, and at the debate, McCain suggested that he supports it. The wacky events of the week went unmentioned, and McCain made a strong case for himself as the candidate of adult leadership. Which, if you’ve been paying attention to his campaign, is probably true if your idea of an adult is Terrell Owens, although Terrell Owens is at least capable of running in a straight line.
There is, of course, a serious point to all this mishigas. The last eight years may have been a geopolitical and economic disaster, but one thing they have not lacked is drama. They’ve been eight exhausting years, and when Obama talks about change, he’s implicitly talking about giving Americans a break, a timeout from grand history. It’s like those T-shirts during the primary: End the Drama — Vote Obama. McCain has tried to make a similar case in a different way, arguing that he’s steady and experienced while Obama is risky and dangerous. That case can get lost in his roller-coaster campaign.
According to CBS News / Knowledge Networks’ poll of undecided voters: 40% of uncommitted voters who watched the debate tonight thought Barack Obama was the winner. 22% thought John McCain won. 38% saw it as a draw. 68% of these voters think Obama would make the right decision about the economy. 41% think McCain would. [CBS News / Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama] [via Ambinder]
That’s pretty brutal, and CNN’s poll of people who watched the debate turns up the same results:
Who Did the Best Job In the Debate?
Obama 51%
McCain 38%Who Would Better Handle Economy?
Obama 58%
McCain 37%Who Would Better Handle Iraq?
Obama 52%
McCain 47%
Personally, I thought it was pretty uneventful, but that played right into Obama’s hands. He was able to portray himself as a competent and in control leader. McCain’s performance was very passable, but his messaging seemed somewhat inconsistent and his tone often came across as petty and bitter (which was in no way helped by his stubborn refusal to even glance in Obama’s direction). But, like I said, who cares what I or anyone else thinks; when it comes to election day it’s just you and a ballot alone together in a booth. (which is why the above numbers are such good news)
And I now have more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin.
The transcript from last night’s interview with Katie Couric:
Katie Couric: You’ve cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundry that we have with Canada. It’s funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don’t know, you know … reporters.
Couric: Mocked?
Palin: Mocked, yeah I guess that’s the word, mocked.
Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.
Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…
Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.
The transcript doesn’t do her bumbling, half rambling tirade justice, the video is at the bottom of the page here. I can do nothing other than shake my head, I’m just flabbergasted — really this is the best you’ve got John?
Picking her to be your running mate isn’t America first, it’s McCain’s campaign first.
Make sure to catch the part with CBS News. More at Minnesota Independent.
[via Wonkette]
From uber Conservative George Will:
Under the pressure of the financial crisis, one presidential candidate is behaving like a flustered rookie playing in a league too high. It is not Barack Obama.
Channeling his inner Queen of Hearts, John McCain furiously, and apparently without even looking around at facts, said Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, should be decapitated. This childish reflex provoked the Wall Street Journal to editorialize that “McCain untethered” — disconnected from knowledge and principle — had made a “false and deeply unfair” attack on Cox that was “unpresidential” and demonstrated that McCain “doesn’t understand what’s happening on Wall Street any better than Barack Obama does….
To read the Journal’s details about the depths of McCain’s shallowness on the subject of Cox’s chairmanship, see “McCain’s Scapegoat” (Sept. 19). Then consider McCain’s characteristic accusation that Cox “has betrayed the public’s trust.”
“Off with his head!” isn’t a good leadership style. Barack Obama has shown the level headed leadership and patience necessary to handle a crisis — John McCain is bouncing around from failed attack, to failed attack. Barack Obama has shown who is the real grown up here, and John McCain has shown that all those concerns about his temper and judgment are well founded.
Yesterday, the much vaunted McCain-Palin ticket rolled into the Twin Cities. Team McCain has been crowing for weeks about how Palin’s addition to the GOP ticket has generated a massive increase of enthusiasm among the Republican faithful. Apparently, McCain-Palin rallies have generated record crowds all across the country (although, media reports have revealed that the McCain campaign has exaggerated their crowd counts).
Well, John McCain did draw a large crowd to his rally up in Blaine yesterday - something in the neighborhood of 10,000 people. Not bad. But you want to know what is really impressive? The Obama counter-rally at Peavey Plaza, which did not feature either Barack Obama OR Joe Biden (or even a state-wide elected official) drew 3,500 people! (Added by Aaron: …and it was only announced two days in advance!)
That, my friends, is a first rate example of the enthusiasm gap in this election - a big reason why Obama is going to carry Minnesota and win the election in six weeks.
People Are Shouting
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